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Manatee History Matters: Early Manatee County's Key West connections
Bradenton's mystic "Singing River" has lured more than lovers to its serene shores. In the 1800's it drew accomplished mariners from Key West some 182 nautical miles away. The United States claimed Key West as property in 1822. It soon grew to be one of Florida's largest towns given its proximity to Cuba, the Bahamas and a busy trade route with New Orleans. Many a sea captain or merchant resided there or traveled its deep water port but several settled in the Manatee lands, filing for homesteading.
Capt. Frederick Tresca, was a young French cabin boy on a ship carrying Napoleon. He grew up on the high seas eventually moving to America where he pledged allegiance to the United States in Key West in 1838. His sloop, the Margaret Ann, ran a prosperous trade route from Cedar Key to Key West with stops to Fort Brooke (Tampa) and Indian trading posts. He brought the first homesteaders, the Gates, and others to new settlements on the Manatee River and operated the Egmont Key Lighthouse. During the Civil War he ran dangerous blockades carrying scarce provisions to struggling Southerners. His sailing expertise facilitated the successful escape of the Confederate Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin at the War's conclusion.
In 1843, William H. Shaw, a savvy Key West ship chandler, filed for homestead on 165 acres on the south side point at the mouth of the Manatee River, known now as Shaw's Point. He continued to build his lucrative cargo trade with military, agricultural and government customers until the Billy Bowlegs War of 1855 which caused him to return with his family to Key West until the Seminole attacks ceased.
Shaw's contemporary, Capt. John Curry, a native Bahamian, was a wealthy Key West merchant, ship owner and salvager of wrecked ships stranded on the dangerous currents and reefs of the Florida straits. This was the era when lighthouses along the coast were almost nonexistent. Wrecking became the backbone of Key West's economy and nearly all its residents were involved in the business. In 1859, Curry and sons visited Manatee to buy cattle for the Cuban market paying $1,500 in gold coin.
While here they noticed the area's tranquility and natural beauty. They were so impressed that Capt. Curry bought Dr. Branch's property north of the Mineral Spring in the village of Manatee and in 1860 moved his large family here and set up a mercantile.
One possible motivation for this life change was quoted by descendant, Arvid Pembrook Curry in the book "Kinfolks:" "The method of salvaging ships in his time did not meet with his approval because of unfair advantage taken by the wreckers over the ship owners. It seemed that many wreckers who began poor, became opulent in short periods of time and he did not want his boys involved in shady deals, he determined to remove them as far away from temptation as he could, hence his removal to the mainland of Florida."
Among the first to settle in Manatee after the Civil War were Key West shipbuilders Bartholomew and John Fogarty.
In 1865 a gulf storm led them to seek protection in the Manatee River. When it subsided, they sailed upriver to find a village they had heard of called Manatee. They were so impressed by the area that they soon returned with their other brothers to establish a home and boat works on the south side of the Manatee River under the Homestead Act. This area became known as Fogartyville, now part of west Bradenton.
The Fogartys built cypress ships able to withstand the turbulence of the high seas and their business flourished by constructing a variety of fishing and transportation vessels.
The brothers also became involved in the shipping business by moving herds of cattle and exporting smoked mullet. After the Civil War, there was a scarcity of ships since most were absconded by Union troops, but this industrious and successful family contributed greatly to the economic restoration of South Florida.
All these men saw something here beyond adventure and access to the Gulf of Mexico. They remained here to contribute to the social and economic fiber of the burgeoning Manatee lands.
Christine Brown, special events coordinator at Manatee Village Historical Park, recently returned from the Florida Keys.
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